0

What you were taught

Summer is warmer because Earth is closer to the Sun

What we know now

Seasons are caused by Earth's axial tilt, not distance to the Sun. When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, that hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, making sunlight more direct and days longer.

Updated understanding emerged around 1975

Add a comment

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.

Built with curiosity about how knowledge evolves

Data compiled from scientific literature and educational research